$0.99 Sale Alerts

• $0.99 — Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This is a must-read for absolutely everyone!! It is one of my all-time top recommendations. Beautiful, heart-wrenching and uplifting. Read my review.

• $0.99 — Bully by Penelope Douglas. An addictive standalone New Adult romance that put a twist on the bad boy meets good girl tale. I loved it! Read my review.

• $0.99 — Lost & Found by Nicole Williams. This is the first of the Lost and Found series. I’ve heard such good things about it! Can’t wait to start!

• $0.99 — Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. This book made me laugh, cry & swoon. Everyone should read it!! It’s a standalone New Adult romance with a HEA. Read my review. “I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.”

• $0.99 — Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki. This is a dystopian forbidden romance that is fast-paced and action packed! I loved it! Read my review.

• $0.99 — Beyond Shame (Beyond #1) by Kit Rocha. An erotic dystopian set in “a dangerous world of sex, lust and violence…” I’ve heard this is H.O.T.

• $0.99 – The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher. This is book #1 of a phenomenal, completed 5 star trilogy that I promise will leave you with an epic (but wonderful) book hangover! One of my top favs! Read my review.

• $0.99 — More Than This by Jay McLean. This is a standalone New Adult Romance. A very sweet and sometimes heartbreaking book about love, loss, healing and friendship. Read my review.

• $0.99 Series Sale!! There Is No Light In Darkness and Darkness Before Dawn are only $0.99 each for a limited time! They were the perfect blend of romance and mystery and the hero was SWOONY! The series is completed and has a HEA. Here are my reviews of Book #1 and Book #2.

$1.99 Sale Alerts & More

• $1.99 — Own The Wind (Chaos #1) by Kristen Ashley. Alpha male fans, you MUST get this book!!! It is hot, badass and flat-out awesome!!!! Highly recommended! Read my review.

• $1.99 — Afterburn (Afterburn #1) by Sylvia Day. Short, hot and sinfully delicious! Here’s the latest new romance from the creator of Gideon Cross! Read my review.

• $1.99 — While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3) by  Abbi Glines. Despite this being the 3rd in the series, it can be read as a standalone. From what I hear, this book is fan-yourself-hot! I can’t wait to read it and meet Cage! Regular price is approx $8.

• #1.99 — Just For Now (Sea Breeze #4) by Abbi Glines. Again, like the one above, this too can be read as a standalone despite it being part of the series. Regular price is approx $8.

• Series sale!! The Education of Sebastian and The Education of Caroline have dropped in price from $4.99 to $2.99 each. If you’re a fan of forbidden love stories, this is definitely a series to check out! I loved them both! Here are my two reviews: Book #1 & Book #2. “Everything had a price: every glance, every kiss, every stolen touch… I knew it was wrong; I knew it was right.”

Special Sales – These are rare publisher sales on highly recommended books. Regular price is approx $8 each.

• $3.79 sale — The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. This book is a beautifully written New Adult standalone and has one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. Absolutely everyone should read this book at some point in their lives. It was unforgettable. Trust me, its totally worth it! Read my review.

• $3.79 sale — Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker!! This is a must-read standalone New Adult romance about a girl who was drowning in the pain of her shattered life and the boy with a dark past of his own who pulled her out and helped her to breath, to live, and to love again. Read my review.

• $3.79 sale — Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover. The Slammed series is a must-series! One of my all-time TOP favorite 6-star reads! Be sure to read book #1 Slammed first though because this is not a standalone!

• $3.99 sale — The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. A beautiful but heart breaking story… it’s hard to say anything about this one but just… bring tissues.

• $3.99 sale — Simple Perfection (Rosemary Beach #5) by Abbi Glines. This is a pre-order sale but be sure to read the first 4 books in the series first! Here’s the reading order.

• $5.00 sale — Entwined With You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day. This is not a standalone and should only be read after both Bared To You and Entwined With You but I can’t recommend this series highly enough. One of my TOP favs!!

• $5.00 sale — Breathe (Sea Breeze #1) by Abbi Glines). This is the first of a series of interconnected standalones that is on many of our reader’s favorites list. I can’t wait to read them! Abbi’s writing is absolutely addictive!

New Releases

• Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters. I’m really excited to read this! It’s a New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance and this line from the blurb grabbed my attention: “My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.Then it all changed. I was sold.”
  

• Good (Too Good #1) by S. Walden. Holy taboo!! This is a well written, rebellious student/teacher romance that defied rules and crossed lines!! Bold. Daring. Forbidden! It’s the first of a 2-part series. Read my review.

• Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan Miles. This is a standalone romance and is next on my reading list! It sounds amazing and these are some very talented authors!

• Price of a Kiss by Linda Kage. A cute, swoony, heartwarming standalone New Adult romance. The hero is a gigolo and the heroine is determined to be his friend no matter what. I loved it! Read my review.  “He could be my soul mate…except for one teeny tiny glitch. He’s a gigolo. Boy, do I know how to pick them.”

• Wethering The Storm (The Storm #2) by Samantha Towle. The sequel to one of my most favorite rock star romances, The Mighty Storm. This is the last book centering on Jake and Tru’s story and has a HEA.

• Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy #2) by Karina Halle. What a wild ride this series is! Be sure to read them in order! First is Sins & Needles, then the prequel On Every Street, then this book Shooting Scars, and the last book will be out next month called Bold Tricks.

• Arsen: A Broken Love Story by Mia Asher. I have never ever felt as conflicted over a book as I did with this one. It was a raw, compelling, strong debut novel that took the reader through the beautiful and the ugly side of love. Read my review.

• Beyond Pain (Beyond #3) by Kit Rocha.  I haven’t read them yet but they’re on my list and are set in a dark, gritty, futuristic world but I hear they are H.O.T.!!! Book #1 is Beyond Shame, Book #2 is Beyond Control.

• Sometimes It Lasts (Sea Breeze #5) by Abbi Glines. This continues the story of Eva and Cage from While It Lasts. For the full reading order of this series, click here.

• Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The next installement in the Lux series. This is a mature Young Adult paranormal romance series that recently scored a movie deal! Book #1 is Obsidian. I loved it!

• Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino. This was a sweet, heartbreaking and romantic story that kept me up reading all night! It’s a standalone romance with a HEA and has now been re-released by Atria with a new cover. Read my review.

• Vain by Fisher Amelie. This is actually a paperback re-release now that the gorgeous new cover has been launched. I loved this book. It was a beautiful, unique YA romance. Read my review.

Upcoming Releases

• Sept 2 — My Unexpected Forever (Beaumont #2) by Heidi McLaughlin. I loved the first book in this series, Forever My Girl, and can’t wait for this one. Just read the blurb, it’s amazing!

• Sept 3 — Conversion (Conversion #1) by S.C. Stephens. I adored this vampire series from the author of Thoughtless! It’s very unique and I think it will appeal to all romance readers regardless of whether they are fans of paranormal romance or not.

• Sept 3 — Breaking Nova (Nova #1) by Jessica Sorensen. The blurb calls this “a powerful story of love, scars, and impossible choices . . . “

• Sept 3 — Everything For Us (Bad Boys #3) by M. Leighton. Love this series! Be sure to read the first two books first: Down To You and Up To Me.

• Sept 16 — Finders Keepers (Lost & Found #3) by Nicole Williams. This is the 3rd book in the Lost & Found series by Nicole Williams. I can’t wait to read this series. They are not standalones though so be sure to read Lost & Found and Near & Far first.

• Sept 17 — A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers. Oh my! This one looks sinfully good! A double taboo forbidden love triangle! The blurb says she’s “torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have.” 

• Sept 17 — Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves. One of my most highly anticipated books of the year! I can’t wait to read it! “What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else?”

• Sept 17 — All of You by Christina Lee. This is a standalone New Adult romance and get this: the hero is tattooed and a  virgin!! Holy unicorn!

• Sept 23 — Simple Perfection (Rosemary Beach #5) by Abbi Glines. Be sure to read the first 4 books first! Here’s the reading order.

**Prices are set by Amazon.com and are subject to change at anytime without notice. 

• Buy ARSEN (Kindle)

Love can destroy you.
Love can erase you.
Love can heal you.
Love can reinvent you,
And if you are lucky enough,
Love can make you whole again.

For the first time in my blogging life, I have no idea how to rate a book. My feelings are just too all over the place. Let me try and explain…

I’m not going to lie, when I first heard about it, I was 99.99% sure that I would hate this book. It basically seemed like the polar opposite of what I might love and truthfully, in a way, it was. It had almost all of my “no-no’s” in it, the biggest one being cheating, which is almost always a deal breaker for me. But… it wasn’t as clear cut here as I expected it to be and even though I’m not sure about where I stand on it, I can certainly understand why readers are loving it.

So hear me out and see if maybe this book might be for you. I think every reader will just have to decide for themselves on this one. But I’ll be honest and tell you that the only way I was able to bring myself to read this was because a good friend gave me all the gory details in advance. There was no way I was going into this one blind but all the insanely high ratings had my curiosity peaked. So, she told me everything and knowing those details pushed me over the edge and made me decided to give this book a shot.

Warning though: THIS. BOOK. WILL. RIP. OUT. YOUR. HEART. For real. You WILL want to throw your eReader at the wall. You WILL be angry. You WILL roll your eyes and want to throttle people. You likely WILL cry. And you’ll probably hate the heroine at some point (or several). But… you might also end up loving the book. It’s just one of those books I guess that really hits home with some people.

So, about the book….

Cathy has the perfect life. Or so it might seem on the outside. She has a gorgeous, sweet, kind, thoughtful, loving husband, Ben, who thinks the world of her, is always there for her and who cares for her more than anything. But after three miscarriages, she begins to fall apart. Her sense of self-worth (which has always been shaky at best) shrivels leaving her sad, lonely, and miserable. She can’t bring herself to accept her husband’s unwavering support and can’t bear the thought of not being able to have a child. Emotional numbness begins to take over and she just slips away.

Enter Arsen. Young, confident, handsome egotistical playboy who doesn’t remotely try to hide his attraction to her and, for the first time in a long while of being closed off, he makes her feel and… she’s drawn to that.

“When our eyes connect, I see danger, and maybe something exciting. Something forbidden. Some basic instinct in my instantly recognizes that this man doesn’t make love to a woman. He fucks her.”

The more she spends time with Arsen, the further she pulls away from Ben, the perfect man who has unquestionably loved her since the day they met, until the lines between love, lust and friendship have not only been blurred but are utterly shattered.

Now, about my feelings…

For the entirety of the book, my heart bled for Ben. I mean BLED. He was one of the good guys, y’know? The keepers. The kind that you fall down on your knees and thank the high heavens for and the fact that Cathy couldn’t see it was just fucking tragic. He was the one. The hero. There was absolutely no question in my mind. Ever.

“For you I will do anything. Anything.”

“Babe, talk to me. You’re scaring me. What’s the matter? Tell me so I can fix it… please.”

Breaks my heart just reading that.

Cathy… hmm… ok, brutal honesty here. My conclusion based on the entirety of the book was that she needed help. I mean that in a very serious, non-judgmental way. She needed professional therapy. She was going through some serious depression and had a whole mix of issues going on and the way she was coping on her own ended up destroying years of many people’s lives. Again, truly tragic. It was hard not to see her as flat-out ungrateful and selfish. She had a lot of issues and truly was an anti-heroine. The only way I can come to terms with, no.. more like ‘deal with’, her actions is by feeling pity for the fact that she was in a bad place and just didn’t receive the help she clearly needed. I think it was because she didn’t know how to love herself that she couldn’t accept Ben’s love for her.

Now Arsen was interesting because in all honestly, I didn’t connect with him as a character until the epilogue. He raised my hackles because of the threat he represented and I wavered back and forth on my feelings for him. Maybe, in another book, away from this situation, I might have felt differently for him but in this book, I never personally fell for him. I couldn’t relate to Cathy’s obsession with him and because of the cheating aspect, I just felt a little ill during most of his scenes with Cathy. Especially the sex scenes. I think the best description of Arsen was this quote right here: “Arsen, a friend gone wrong.”

I think what hurt the most was that there was no justification. This wasn’t a situation where Cathy and Ben fell apart, no, this was Cathy, just Cathy, drifting away. And a big part of me hated her for it because she had Ben. She loved Ben and she threw him away.

“I wish I could save you, Cathy. Take the pain away; erase it from your body. I wish I could hurt for you, but I can’t. You have to save yourself. All I can do is love you. Through it all, just love you. But you need to let me back in.”

While the story is primarily told from Cathy’s POV, we do also get a few scenes from Ben’s side partway through and later on, some from Arsen’s. The first half is actually fairly slow building. I was enjoying my read and I liked all the flashbacks that built the foundation of Cathy and Ben’s relationship but at the same time, nothing was really putting my heart in my throat per say. But then one tiny lie started the downward spiral… and that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach began to grow as I watched bit by bit as something that I’d come to love got torn to shreds.

The real cheating didn’t begin until the second half and even when Cathy was in a place where she felt like she needed Arsen, I still just didn’t feel anything for him. It was like a total emotional disconnect and I just felt sick to my stomach for what they were doing to Ben. There was never a point where I was torn between Ben and Arsen. I didn’t blame Arsen though… he was just being Arsen. I wouldn’t have expected different or better for him. He just came, he saw, he conquered and in a weird way, he was trying to help her. He did have real feelings for her. But Cathy… fuck. I was pretty disgusted with her because what she wanted from Arsen wasn’t something that Ben wasn’t offering, it was just something she wasn’t in a place in her life (I guess) where she was able to accept it. And she was the one in the position to say no. And she didn’t. And I hated her for it.

“No one said cheating was pretty but hell, it’s downright disgusting. Yet, I can’t stop myself from doing it… I feel revulsion turn my stomach upside down by my own actions. I want to scream, I want to throw up, I want to die. I’m repulsed by me, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay to be with Arsen.”

But as much as I hated that Cathy needed Arsen, I won’t deny that he did help her in a way. For some unfortunate reason, he was the person who was able to help her reach a level of healing that she sadly wan’t able to get from Ben even though he was offering it to her.

My heart just broke for Ben over and over again. Every tear I cried was for him. The first time was around the 60% mark and just suddenly… TEARS and full body chills. That man just did not deserve what he was delivered. Dear Lord but he did not deserve it. It was tragic and just… heart breaking.

It wasn’t until the very, very, VERY end that I came to terms with some of what had happened. There was one line in particular that actually made me reconsider a lot of what I’d read and look at Cathy in a different light. Not that it made me understand her, but more that it made me understand something about her. The ending… well, I’m not going to give it away directly but it’s a bittersweet, tragic HEA. “Technically” I’m happy with the ending. Even though “happy” really does NOT seem like the right word. Relieved, maybe?

“There never was a choice for us, was there?”

To tell you the truth, I have NO idea how to rate this book. Was it good? Yes. It absolutely was. For sure. But a part of me wants to give it 2 stars because I’m so fucking angry and then another part of me wants to give it 5 stars because holy hell did it make me feel. I don’t feel good rounding out that number though because 3.5 honestly doesn’t feel right either. Ben was a 5 star character and, tragic as what happened was, I think they had a 5 star love. Most of my ratings are based on my feelings but at the same time, I don’t just want to ‘feel’ any emotion, I want to feel specific ones and… this book made me feel some things I wish I hadn’t felt. *sigh* I just don’t think it’s possible in this case to generalize my feelings down to one specific number.

Overall I’d say it was partly 2 star and partly 5 star but not an average of them. It just was what it was.

There’s a line actually that kind of resonates with how I feel about the book as a whole:

“I hate you as much as I loved you.”

Mia Asher has written a strong, compelling debut novel that takes you through the beautiful and ugly sides of love and betrayal. Truly, a broken love story in every way. 

• Buy ARSEN (Kindle)

• Buy PRICE OF A KISS (Kindle)
• Buy PRICE OF A KISS (Paperback)

“He could be my soul mate…except for one teeny tiny glitch. He’s a gigolo. Boy, do I know how to pick them.”

Price of a Kiss was a cute, swoony, heartwarming standalone New Adult romance. It was lighthearted and romantic but still had emotional depth. The banter was awesome, the writing was great and the story was sweet. I really enjoyed it!

The prologue instantly hooked me. It it we see the hero, Mason, at eighteen years old, put in an impossible situation by his mother’s landlady. With his sister sick and their single mother struggling to make ends meet, the rent was months overdue. Threatening them all with eviction, the landlady backs Mason into a corner and propositions him. If he agrees to sleep with her, the balance would be voided. So, despite her being over twice his age, the fact that this might be the only way to save his family from immediate eviction had Mason going along with her wishes.

Two years later, Reece is starting her life over in a new college after her last relationship ended in a horrible mess when her ex-boyfriend crossed the obsessed stalker line and tried to kill her. She changed her name, changed towns and started over. A new relationship was the last thing she was looking for but the minute she locked eyes on Mason, she fell head over heels in swoon with him.

From fifty yards, he’d taken my breath away. From ten feet, I’d been ready too have his babies.

Of course there was the one teensy tiny glitch… he was a gigolo. Totally and completely off-limits. But that did not stop her from swooning hard or wanting a friendship with him. She wasn’t looking for anything more at that point and honestly, he couldn’t give her any more even if she’d wanted it so between them they struck up an unlikely friendship brimming with fun, flirty sexual tension.

Every female instinct in me wanted to reach out and trace the wrinkles in his brow he was making as he frowned.
Must. Soothe. The hottie.

Oh and…

Brace yourself for this one, ladies: He had a tattoo. I know. I almost spontaneously combusted right then and there.

Teehee!

Ok honestly, this book just made me happy. Flat-out happy. So much of my book is highlighted. I laughed and snorted my way though a good chunk of the book in a way that made me glad I wasn’t sitting in public at the time I was reading

But I felt so bad for Mason! The poor guy was literally sacrificing everything for his family. He couldn’t have real relationships, everyone either wanted to take something from him or shunned him, and you could just see the pain it was causing him. He gave it all up – friends, relationships, a social life, everything – just to keep a roof over his family’s head.

But that was what made their friendship mean so much more. She was literally the first person to see him as HIM. Just Mason Lowe. She fell hard for him but knew and understood where he was coming from. She didn’t ever judge him and I have to say, I loved her as a heroine for that.

“Every woman treats me that way, Reece. I’m not a person to them. I’m just… a good time or something vile to be avoided at all costs. And then you can along and you… you hugged me. You are the first person who sees me, Mason, not sex for sale.”

In a certain way, they were kind of perfect for each other because she wasn’t looking for a new relationship and he quite literally could not commit so their mutual understanding led them into a really wonderful friendship. But their attraction was palatable, their chemistry was combustible and their flirty banter was just pure gold.

I loved Reece. She was a strong heroine and totally in control of her life. Yes, she’s been through a huge trauma but she was not about to let it dictate her life. It was really refreshing to just never be annoyed with the heroine.

And Mason… ohhhh Mason. Seriously, just the sweetest guy! With a hilariously insatiable appetite (and I’m talking real food here, get your mind out of the gutter!) and a gorgeously protective nature, he was easy to love.

The more time they spent together, the more apparent it was that their feelings for each other ran deeper than they each expected but it was heartbreaking to see how tainted Mason felt. They were crazy for each other but he just couldn’t bring himself to be with her. Not while… well, you know.

I’m going to try and anticipate some questions you might have about this book given the hero’s um… *cough* profession.

First, they do not sleep together while he’s “taking clients”. Second, they don’t become a couple immediately but their friendship did begin to build early on and got developed quite a bit so that by the time they actually were ready to make it official, they fell into it very easily into their relationship given their already established connection.

This book had a little bit of everything – laughs, heart break, and a really sweet, impossible romance that I rooted for from the first few pages. It was my first book from this author and it certainly will not be my last. The writing was funny, witty and easy to read. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from Linda Kage.

At 370 pages, it’s definitely a full-length novel but it flew by fast. I read it in a couple hours and was left with a warm, fuzzy, happy feeling. It’s a standalone with a HEA and epilogue so you really get a complete story here.

If you’re looking for something fun and swoony or something to read after a heavily emotional book, this would be a great choice!

4 – 4.5 stars.

• Buy PRICE OF A KISS (Kindle)
• Buy PRICE OF A KISS (Paperback)

________________________

Series of standalones. Click covers to purchase.

• Buy GOOD (Kindle) 
• Buy GOOD (Paperback)

“Love comes in all kinds of packages. Some are neatly tied up, and some are messy. It doesn’t mean that the messy ones aren’t every bit as good.”

Holy taboo!!

Good was a well-written, rebellious romance that defied rules and crossed lines.

Bold. Daring. Forbidden.

The dedication at the beginning set the tone for the whole story:

To lovers who fought the odds. And won.

To give a little bit of background, Good is a New Adult student/teacher romance but there is nothing sugar-coated about it. I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to explore such a controversial, unconventional topic. The taboo screamed loud and clear and despite the fact that the relationship was legally acceptable in their state, it’s up to every reader to decide if they can morally justify it because the facts are this: the heroine in a 17 year old student and the hero is her 28 year old math teacher. Plain and simple. They were attracted to each other, they fell in love and they acted on their feelings. Now add to the mix the fact that the heroine is a Christian from a church going, Bible thumping family and you have the recipe for a story that will leave no feather unruffled. And…. I loved it!

Here’s the blurb:

BAD BOY FANS!!! This post is for YOU!

I’m a big fan of M. Leighton’s Bad Boy series and if you haven’t met Cash and Nash yet, you are missing out on some serious yumminess!

The third book in this series, Everything For Us, will be released on September 3rd and today I have an exclusive teaser for you as well as a signed (international) giveaway of the first book, Down To You!!

Enjoy! 

   SIGNED GIVEAWAY 

Giveaway is Open Internationally. One winner.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Special thanks to InkSlingerPR for coordinating the feature.

Any fans of Alpha males here??

Yes? Perfect! Come check out what I’ve got for you here today!!

To celebrate today’s paperback release of Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller, the publishers at Atria are offering a giveaway of 2 signed sets of the entire Blackstone Affair series right here!!

Check the details out below!

 SIGNED GIVEAWAY 

2 winners. Each will get all 2 (signed) books in the Blackstone Affair series.
Giveaway is being offered by Atria. Open to USA/Canada residents only.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!!

When it was announced that Sylvia Day had written a new book series (Afterburn/Aftershock), I couldn’t wait to meet the new book hero written by the creator of one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, Gideon Cross!! Her Crossfire Series is one of my top recommendations for any romance readers and now I’ve fallen in love with her new books as well.

Sylvia Day’s writing is sinfully addictive and her heroes are positively mouthwatering. But her stories also have a lot of emotional depth, wonderful character development and growth, and they really just draw you right in. For anyone who loves dominant and Alpha yet also flawed heroes as well as strong, independent heroines, her books are must reads!

A few days ago, I was given the incredible opportunity to do a video interview with Sylvia Day where she talked about her new book Afterburn and it’s upcoming sequel Aftershock as well as the 4th Crossfire series novel “Captivated by You.”

The interview is spoiler-free.

Enjoy!!

“I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.”

• Buy RUIN (Kindle)
• Buy RUIN (Paperback)

4.5 stars

Ruin made me laugh, cry and swoon. If you want a book that will both leave you uplifted and make you smile while still having a lot of emotional depth, then pick this one up and fall in love with Wes Michels. But bring tissues! It’s a tearjerker!

This is the story of a sweet, innocent, small-town girl, lost in hurt and reeling from a tragic loss, and a cocky but charming boy, who understood her pain and could reach through to her because he too had deep painful secrets that made him value every moment of life.

This book is really hard to describe without spoilers so I’m going to stay very vague about it and say only this: you find something out about the hero very early on and yes, your suspicions are going to be right. Just hold on to the fact that there’s a HEA and you’ll get through it just fine. It’s totally worth the journey.

Despite the fact that the emotional undercurrents of this story are quite heartbreaking, the majority of the book made me laugh and smile and just feel good. I’ll give you an example that’s close to the beginning of the book. This is their first meeting:

“I turned around… and ran smack dab into a tree.

Or at least it felt like a tree.

But trees weren’t warm.

And they didn’t have one, two, three, four, six, Good Lord, eight? Eight packs? Furthermore, had I actually been feeling said person’s eight pack? And, dear God, I was counting. I had touched each muscle. And great, my hand was still firmly placed against the guy’s stomach. 

I jerked my hand back and closed my eyes.

“Were you just counting my abs?”

Wes was the kind of hero who it was impossible not to fall in love with. What a total sweetheart! He had a wisdom that came out of surviving painful heartbreak, and a protective caring side that just made me swoon for pages on end. I’m smiling here just thinking about him. The things he said melted my heart over and over again.

“I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.”

She was silent.

“That’s how you can tell when someone has a good heart… when you want to be the one to make it beat.”

Kiersten was a little more ‘innocent’ than I’d usually like but at the same time, she didn’t let anyone walk all over her and certainly wasn’t stupid and so given her history, I could understand where she was coming from. She was hiding a lot of pain though behind her smiles and Wes was just the right kind of guy to help her through it.

“Open.” He nipped at the corner of my mouth. “I won’t hurt you.”

“I don’t bite.”
“But you do lick.”
“Always.”

The writing was awesome! Their banter back and forth was just gold! Fast, snappy, fun, flirty. But it was their deeper connection that really made me care. He chased away her nightmares, made her smile again and taught her to live.

“My new job description is making you laugh and chasing away the bad dreams.”

“Just because you need help to cope doesn’t make you any less strong. The truly weak people in this life are the ones who can’t admit they need help. They’re the ones who can’t admit that they can no longer go at it alone. Those are the people who are weak. By asking for help, by taking help, you’ve just admitted your weakness and in that, you find your strength. The weak of the world are those who think they’ve got it all figured out and flaunt it to others.”

Now because of the ‘situation’, Wes refused to let her fall in love with him at first. But at the same time, couldn’t stay away.

“I was keeping something epic from her, which sort of made me the villain in this tale. But damn, I wanted to be the hero.”

The side characters in this book were equally wonderful. I loooooved Gabe! He was kind of a protective big brother character to Kiersten and the way he mother henned her was endearing and totally hilarious! I really hope he gets his own book! I’d love to see him in the hero role!

The ending kind of snuck up on me. It wasn’t a ‘surprise’ per say because we knew what was going on from very early on in the book but I guess I was so caught up with them falling in love that it just hit me in the face a little and I read the last 20% of the book quite choked up. And, this might sound weird though but I didn’t cry until a certain reveal very close to the end but when I read it, just BAM. Tears. Full body shivers. It was such a beautiful little twist. I loved it.

The book leaves you with a wonderful message to appreciate every moment of life. It’s an uplifting ending. One that gives you hope.

“I want all of [your heart], even the broken pieces, the shredded ones that no longer fit. I want all of them – all of you. I need it all.”

This really is a very swoony book. Almost no angst, and no stupidity or eye-roll inducing moments. There were times when I found it a little too ‘perfect’ but at the same time, with all the gritty and ‘real’ books I’ve been reading lately, this was exactly what I wanted. I think the point of it was to be uplifting. Miracles do happen. And sometimes, you do get a second chance.

I loved Ruin and would definitely recommend it.

This is a standalone romance with a HEA (and epilogue).

4.5 stars.

• Buy RUIN (Kindle)
• Buy RUIN (Paperback)

Casting

• Wes & Kiersten

Here’s what’s going on in the book world right now!!

My Top Weekend Recommendations

Present Perfect by Alison G. Bailey (read my review) – NEW BOOK!!

This is easily one of my favorite books of 2013! This book was just phenomenal!! It made me feel with every part of my heart and I really truly mean feel.

It was everything. Amazing. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking.Original. Intense.

Once you start reading, I promise you will not be able to put it down!

If you’re a fan of Thoughtless, The Opportunist or Sweet Thing, you’ll love this too!

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay (read my review) – SALE!! 

OMG! This is on sale right now, guys!! Only $3.99! That never happens! *squee* This book is a beautifully written New Adult standalone and has one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. EVER.

Absolutely everyone should read this book at some point in their lives. It was unforgettable. Trust me, its totally worth it!

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker (read my review) – SALE!!

This is a must-read standalone New Adult romance and, for a limited time, it’s on a very rare sale for only $3.99 so if you haven’t read it yet, now’s the time to grab it.

This is a story about a girl who was drowning in the pain of her shattered life and the boy with a dark past of his own who pulled her out and helped her to breath, to live, and to love again.

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken (read my review) – NEW BOOK!! $0.99!

I just finished this last night and loved it! It made me laugh, cry, and swoon. There’s a very emotional twist to it but there is a lot of sweetness and humour as well and it’s pretty impossible not to fall in love with Wes.

“I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.” <— *swooooon*

 
Sale Alerts

• $0.99 sale — Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. One of my new favorite books! I highly recommend this standalone! 

• $0.99 sale — Friend-zoned by Belle Aurora. This seems like just the kind of book I was looking for! I just added it to my reading list! It looks fun, light-hearted and romantic. I can’t wait to read it!

• $1.99 sale — Love Thy Neighbor by Belle Aurora. This is the next book in the Friend-zoned series but it’s about different characters. Since it’s also on sale, I’m adding the link in here too

• $0.99 sale — The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher. This is book #1 of a phenomenal, completed 5 star trilogy that I promise will leave you with an epic (but wonderful) book hangover! One of my top favs! Read my review.

• $0.99 sale — Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki. Fast paced, action-packed and emotionally charged, this Dystopian forbidden romance captured my heart! Read my review.

• $0.99 sale — Locked (The Alpha Group #1) by Maya Cross. I haven’t read this yet but I hear it’s another hot dominant billionaire trilogy!

• $0.99 sale — Kaleb by Nicole Edwards. I keep hearing that these books are scorching hot and I just noticed that book #1 is only $0.99 so I’m adding it in case you want to check it out. Each book reads as a standalone.

• $3.99 sale — Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker!! This is a must-read standalone New Adult romance on a very rare sale (this publisher rarely does sales) so if you haven’t read this, grab it now! Read my review.

• Rock star sale bundle! Right now you can get four books from Olivia Cunning’s Sinners on Tour series for $20.49! Considering each book is usually about $7, that pretty much gives you one free book! This series is scorching hot!

• $0.99 sale — Watch Over Me by Tara Sivec. I haven’t read this yet but I’ve heard good things and have it on my reading list. It’s a standalone romance.

• $3.99 sale — Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover. The Slammed series is a must-series! One of my all-time TOP favorite 6-star reads! Be sure to read book #1 Slammed first though because this is not a standalone!

• #3.99 sale — The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. Like I mentioned above, this is a beautifully written New Adult standalone and has one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. EVER.

New Releases

•  Stripped by Jasinda Wilder. This is a New Adult contemporary romance standalone on my reading list. “He’s a movie star sex god. She’s a virgin… and a stripper.”

• Afterburn by Sylvia Day. I loved this one! It’s the first part of a 2-book series. Book #2 Aftershock will be released on November 12, 2013. Read my review.

• Rock Chick Revolution (Rock Chick #8) by Kristen Ashley. This is a highly recommended series for anyone who loves badass, protective ALPHA males, swoony romance & action-packed fun!! Read my review.

• Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. OMG this one looks amazing!! I’ve received several recommendations for this one recently and wow is it ever rating highly! This is going to be my next read! I’ve been told its a standalone and that I should read with tissues on hand **Edit: finished this and loved it. Review coming soon.

• Love Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #4) by Jillian Dodd. I haven’t read this series yet but I’ve heard good things! The previous books in the series are: Stalk Me, Kiss Me, and Date Me.

• Into The Deep by Samantha Young. This is a new second-chance romance from the author of On Dublin Street! I hear it doesn’t have a cliffhanger but leaves you looking forward to book #2 which will be out in 2014.

Book News

•  Sempre by J.M. Darhower is available for pre-order for only $1.99!! This is the newly edited version to be released by Simon and Schuster in November. I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! Highly recommended! Read my review. “This is a story about sacrifice… death… love… freedom. This is a story about forever.”

•  J.A. Redmerski (author of The Edge of Never) has announced her next standalone New Adult romance book called Song of the Fireflies, which follows two characters that are introduced in The Edge of Always, but also includes several other characters you’ll read about in Camryn and Andrew’s final book. Release date is February 4th, 2014. Pre-order here for $1.99.

• Jessica Sorensen announced that she’ll be writing another book for Callie & Kayden called The Resolution of Callie and Kayden that’ll take place after Luke’s book!! Here’s the series reading order:

#1 The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden
#2 The Redemption of Callie & Kayden
#3 The Destiny of Violet & Luke
#4 The Resolution of Callie & Kayden

• CJ Roberts fans!! She’s beginning to write Agent Reed’s book!!! My heart rate just spiked! C.A.N.N.O.T. W.A.I.T!!!!!!

“Matthew Reed believed in few things with absolute certainty. He believed in order. He believed in control over oneself. He believed that if one lived their life according to these two principles, anything could be achieved.” — Untitled, by CJ Roberts

• Fisher Amelie (author of Vain) has revealed the new cover for Vain, the cover and blurb for Greed and the titles for the entire rest of the Seven Deadly Series. Click here to see them.

• The new paperback cover of Vain is also now available for purchase.

• This Girl by Colleen Hoover is now available in paperback!! This is book #3 of the Slammed series – one of my TOP favs

• Tara Sivec has announced a spin off of the Chocolate Lovers series called Chocoholics. The first book is Love and Lists which will follow Gavin’s story and will be released on October 1, 2013.

Cover Reveals

• Nocturne by Charles Sheehan-Miles and Andrea Randall.  Release date: September 1, 2013. This is a standalone romance that I can’t WAIT for!! No pre-order available but you check check all books by Andrea and all books by Charles out on Amazon.

 Savannah Marshall is a gifted flutist and daughter of musical royalty when she enrolls in the elite New England Conservatory of Music. Brilliant, eclectic and passionate, she lives music, but struggles with her plans for the future.

Gregory Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned cellists of his generation. A member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory, he is laser focused on his career to the exclusion of friends, family and especially romance.

When Gregory and Savannah’s paths cross in the classroom, it threatens to challenge more than their wildly differing beliefs on music. Friendships, ethics, and careers are put on the line as Gregory and Savannah play a symphony of passion and heartbreak. 

In the final movement, Gregory and Savannah are handed their greatest challenge, as the loss of absolutely everything they’ve held as truths hangs in the balance.

• Breaking Nova (Nova #1) by Jessica Sorensen. New Adult Contemporary Romance. Release date: September 3, 2013. Pre-order here for $0.99. There will be 3 books in the series according to Amazon. This one, then Nova #2, and Nova #3 (both untitled at this point).

A powerful story of love, scars, and impossible choices . . . Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she’s getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next . . . until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life-but he doesn’t want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he’s done, what he’s lost. He’s sworn to never allow happiness into his life . . . but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he’s too damaged to get close to her, yet she’s the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

• The Final Piece by Maggie Myers has a new cover now that she has been picked up by a publisher. I have to say, I really love it! I loved this standalone romance and it’s currently available for purchase! Read my review.

Life shouldn’t be about picking up the pieces.

Beth Bradshaw has spent her life hiding from her tragic past. From the moment a trusted family friend steals her innocence until the moment another rescues her, she struggles to just survive.

Surrounded by the comfort and protection of her extended family, Beth embarks on a journey of healing far from the horrors of her home. In her darkest moments, she meets a boy named Ryan. For one incredible summer, Ryan shows Beth what it’s like to act her own age.

To feel free and let go.
If only for a while.

Years later, another tragedy threatens to shatter the life Beth has carefully crafted. When faced, yet again, with more pieces to pick up, Beth begins to question what her choices have cost her.
Leaving her old life behind, she sets forth on a pilgrimage that will bring her back to the boy she could never forget. He wants to help her pick up the pieces of her life, but is she willing to do what it takes to become whole again?

Can she trust him with a piece of herself?

• Good (Too Good #1) by S. Walden!! This is an unconventional student/teacher New Adult romance to be released on August 27, 2013!! I love the sound of it!

Cadence Miller is a good girl. She just happens to make one terrible mistake her junior year in high school which costs her ten months in juvenile detention. Now a senior, she’s lost everything: her best friend, the trust of her parents, driving privileges, Internet access. It’s a lonely existence.

But there is one bright spot: Mark Connelly, her very cute, very off-limits 28-year-old calculus teacher. She falls hard for him—a ridiculous schoolgirl crush headed nowhere. She can’t help it. He’s the only good thing at Crestview High. She doesn’t expect him to reciprocate her feelings. How inappropriate, right? But he does. And he shows her.

And that’s when her life goes from bad to good.

• Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #6) by Abbi Glines. This will be Jax Stone’s younger brother Jason Stone’s story. Release date: December 17, 2013. Pre-order here. And, if you want to know more about this series, here’s the full reading order.

An unexpected affair leads to mind-blowing harmony in this Sea Breeze novel from New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines.

Jason is sick of living in his rock star brother’s shadow. So when he ships off to Sea Breeze, Alabama, he’s looking for a much deserved escape and a chance to blow off some envious steam. Falling for the local bad girl was definitely not the plan. But as the new duo enjoys some naughty fun in the Alabama sun, Jason learns that even though Jax is the musician in the family, he’s not the only brother who can rock someone’s world.

• Trust In Me (Wait For You #1.5) by J. Lynn. This tells the story of Wait For You from Cam’s POV! Release date is October 22, 2013. Pre-order here.

Cameron Hamilton is used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But when Avery Morgansten comes crashing into his life – literally – he finally meets the one person who can resist his soulful baby blues. But Cam’s not ready to give up. He can’t get the feisty and intriguing girl out of his head.

Avery has secrets, secrets that keep her from admitting the feelings Cam knows she has for him. Will persistence (and some delicious homemade cookies) help him break down her barriers and gain her trust? Or will he be shut out of Avery’s life, losing his first real shot at the kind of love that lasts forever?

Other Recommendations

• List of my favorite books read in July  <– my most recent recommendations!!

• Best Books Read in 2012
• Best Books Read in 2013 (ongoing list)
• Best Standalone Romance Recommendations (happy endings only)

Happy reading everyone!! 

• Buy NOCTURNE (Kindle)